FNV members threaten to strike at Arriva in Twente over break conflict

FNV members who work for the regional transport company Arriva in Twente have voted to take action. They believe that the transport company is not properly complying with previous agreements on rest and break times, which means that bus drivers in the region have to work under great pressure. They want to force Arriva to make concessions by threatening to strike.

Next week, the union will give Arriva an ultimatum to meet the demands, according to FNV board member Marijn van der Gaag. If the company fails to do so, the drivers may stop work.

The dissatisfaction arose at the end of last year when Arriva took over bus transport in Twente from competitor Keolis. In a letter to the Provincial Council of Overijssel, FNV and CNV complained that Arriva had not fully taken over old agreements that the drivers had made with Keolis about driving and rest times.

The unions also complained about problems with new buses, which sometimes still had defects. As a result, buses regularly arrive late at bus stops, which allegedly irritates passengers.

Arriva stated in a letter that threatening strikes would only lead to disruption, while the company says it is working on more stable timetables. At the same time, the company admitted that a lot had gone wrong when taking over the bus services in Twente from Keolis, which had been difficult for the bus drivers.